Roullete, also known as Roulette, is a gambling game in which a small ball is released in the opposite direction of a revolving wheel and players make bets on which red or black numbered compartment the ball will come to rest in. Bets are made by laying down chips on a betting mat, the precise placement of the chips indicating the bet type. The house edge varies by bet type, so it’s important to choose the best type of bet for your bankroll.
The Roulette wheel is a solid, slightly convex disk with metal partitions or frets around its perimeter. Thirty-six of these compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered 1 to 36. There is also a single zero, and on American wheels there are two extra green divisions labeled 0 and 00. A croupier spins the wheel and rolls the ball into one of the compartments. Once the ball is in a compartment, the dealer announces no more bets and the betting layout locks. This is to prevent players from cheating by predicting where the ball will land.
If a player’s bet is a winner, the winning chips are paid out according to a sequence set out in the table. The payout for a straight bet, for example, is 392 chips. However, if the bet is a losing one, the player’s chips remain on the table, and they are eligible to win again on the next spin.
The game of Roulette dates back more than 300 years, and there are many fanciful stories about its origin. It was allegedly invented by the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, although it may have been derived from older games such as hoca and portique. In the late 18th century, it was introduced in casinos in Paris and quickly gained popularity throughout Europe.